Good Night
Published September 2025
By Greg Elwell | 6 min read
Consider the humble cheese enchilada. It is a staple of Oklahoma’s Mexican restaurants, almost like the California roll is to sushi. It’s simple. It’s satisfying. It’s a classic. It also can be boring. Uninspired. Meh to the blah power.
“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel,” says Marco Herrera, former executive operator of Noche Woodfired Grill & Agave Bar in Tulsa. “The guest wants what the guest wants, and we want to give them that, so we try to do the best versions of those things that we can.”
Noche Woodfired Grill & Agave Bar may have a rabbit in the logo, but the food is sure to satisfy even the hungriest omnivore. Photo by Valerie Wei-Haas
Noche is neither a molecular gastronomy showcase nor a cookie-cutter Tex-Mex joint. Instead, the staff uses tried-and-true methods to help elevate beloved Mexican dishes without becoming unapproachable.
Noche’s cheese enchilada is a triumph of technique and execution. It starts with a soft but pliant corn tortilla that’s made in-house. Inside is a gooey, creamy filling of cheese that is pleasantly warm and deeply flavorful thanks to the inclusion of a nutty Parmesan crema and smoky onions. Ladled lovingly over the top is a guajillo-ancho chili sauce with a mild tinge of heat accenting the smoky sweetness of the peppers. This dish is a savory amusement park, and diners’ tongues are in for a fun ride.
“If you want my pro move, cut it in half in the middle, and then take a bite from there,” Herrera says.
All that cheesy goodness would still be good without the chili sauce, but together, they’re magical. After the umami coats the taste buds, threatening to drown the palate in richness, the chili sauce creates a perfect counterbalance, deliciously wiping the slate clean for each new bite.
Those who arrive seeking Tex-Mex fare will not be disappointed, Herrera says. But beyond the enchiladas and fajitas everyone adores, the menu is something of a Mexican travelogue, touring diners through the southern reaches, the coastal towns, and the more cosmopolitan cuisine of Mexico City, home to one of the world’s hottest food scenes.
Take, for instance, the tlayuda. Served almost like a pizza, it’s a large, crisp tortilla crust topped with herbaceous chorizo verde, queso Oaxaca, and refried beans, which provide the dish’s satisfying heft. Add salsa macha and cabbage for flavor and texture, and you’ve got something that’s familiar enough to enjoy and novel enough to convince even the most die-hard Tex-Mex fan to explore the menu further.
If this were an SAT prep course, the Mayacoba beans that pepper the menu would be to pintos what Yukon Golds are to russet potatoes—buttery, creamy, and utterly satisfying. And where the beans are good, the rice must rise to meet it, and Noche’s golden rice does just that. The individual grains do not clump together but provide a flavorful and fluffy base that is delicious on its own and even better when soaking up the other flavors in the dish.
Even if Noche were housed in a gray concrete box, it would still be a must-visit for diners, but its vibrant, funky interior and carefully chosen soundtrack is as welcoming as the menu.
As good as the dishes coming off the wood-fired grill are, the agave bar at Noche is just as impressive, featuring drinks for every variety of taste. Even better, the staff are experts who can educate and guide customers on their exploratory journey through the worlds of tequila, mezcal, sotol, and raicilla. They also serve a small selection of zero-proof cocktails, including a pistachio horchata.
The Noche staff take the agave bar part of the restaurant’s title very seriously. Photo by Valerie Wei-Haas
While the team behind Noche is eager to expand the palates of Tulsa drinkers, the drink they sell the most of is the classic margarita. Herrera proudly proclaims Noche’s is the best in Tulsa.
“Today, we’ll probably touch close to 200 classic margaritas—250 if you include all the margaritas on the menu,” he says. “I think it’s the best in town, and I’m not afraid to say it. It’s amazing.”
